Cork-finishing machine.



T. THUMPSUN.

CORK FINISHING MACHINE.

(Application Sled Sept. 19, 1899.)

Patented Dec. 5. |899.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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wlTNEssEs INVENTOR 21m/Mw.

No. 638,528. Patented nec. 5, i899. T. THOMPSON.

CORK FINISHING' MACHINE.

(Application led Sept. 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 shexs-slheet 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR iff/ww www.

m waz Unirrnn STATES PATENT Ormes.

THOMAS THOMPSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE s.

ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

CORK-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,528, dated December 5, 1899.

Application Atiled September I9, 1899. Serial No. 730,995. (No model.)

T0 all wtont it may oon/cern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS THOMPSON, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cork-Finishing Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved machine with the feeding-hopper broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line II II of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are broken detail views showing the position of the belt before and after its engaging the cork.

My invention relates to the finishing of corks and sandpapering or polishing their sides, and is designed to providea simple and effective machine for this purpose which will automatically adjust itself to slight variations in the cork and which will automatically and rapidly polish their sides.

In the drawings, 2 represents a vertical channel or chute leading downwardly from any suitable hopper and through which the corks descend, one upon the top of the other. The feeding-hopper may be provided with any suitable stirring device, and corks are fed forward from the lower end of the chut-ey by a plunger 3, supported within a guide 4, and operated by a curved lever 5, projecting through a slot in its rear portion. The lever 5 is operated by a pitman 6, adjustably connected to a crank-disk '7, mounted on a shaft 8, having bevel-gear connections 9 with a shaft 10, which is driven bya suitable pulley 11. The lowermost cork normally rests on the top of the plunger, and as the plupger is moved back the cork drops in front of it. The forward movement of the plunger then forces the cork forward on a supporting-plate 12 and between spring clips or lingers 13.

The polishing device consists of a disk 14, faced with sandpaper or other suitable inaterial and mounted at the end of a shaft 15, actuated by pulley 16. The corks are rotated and moved across the face of this disk by a belt 17 passing over pulleys -18 and 19, the pulley 1S being secured to a shaft 20, having bevel-gear connection 21 with the shaft 10.

22 is an inclined pin over which the belt passes and which normally causes the inner portion to assume an inclined position, as

shown in Fig. 3. The belt feeds each cork forwardly from the plate 12 over a supporting-plate 23, which extends toward the center of the polishing-disk and is provided at its end with a chute or guideway 24, down which the polished corks pass.

The operationis apparent. The corks passing down the chute on top of each other are forced forward one by one, and thus force the forward cork of the series held in the spring-clips between the face of the polish-V ing-disk and the inner portion of the belt. The disk being rotated counter-clockwise holds the corks down on thel supportingplate, while the belt rotates them and moves them across its face. As soon as each cork reaches the end of the support itis forced down the chute. As each cork is forced out from the clips and engages the belt the belt Ywill be forced into a more nearly vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4, and will hold the cork securely and rotate it in its forward movement.

The advantages of my invention result from the use of the belt as a means for feed ing the corks across the face of the polishing disks, as this belt will yield slightly and accommodate itself to the corks while rotating them and moving them along the sup-V porting-plate.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the belt, its driving mechanism, and the polishing-disk Without de parting from my invention.

I claim- 1. Inacork-finishing machine,a polishingdisk, a supporting-plate, and a belt carried on rotary supports mounted in stationary bearings and arranged to move the cork along the plate and across the face of the disk; substantially as described.

2. In acork-iinishing machine, a polishingdisk, abelt carried on rotarysupports mounted in stationary bearings and arranged to rotate the corks in contact therewith, and a deiiector arranged to force the belt into an inclined position before engaging the corks; substantially as described.

3. In a cork-finishing machine, a vertical rotating polishing-disk', a horizontally-extending support, a feeder arranged to force IOO corks one by one upon the support, and a belt carried on rotary supports mounted in stationary bearings and arranged to move the col-ks along the support and in contact with the face of the polishing-disk; substantially as described.

4. In a cork-finishing machine, a Verticalehute, spring-fingers extending from its lower end, a plunger arranged to force the corks one by one into the ngers and forwardly therefrom, a polishing-disk, and a belt arranged to engage the corks forced forwardly from lthe clips, and rotate them in contact with the face of the disk; si'lbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOS. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

H. M. CoRwIN, G. B. BLEMMING. 

